[Survival at what price? Ethical problems in neonatal intensive care medicine--observations on a round-table discussion].

Infants with a very low birth weight (below 1250 g) have a high risk to develop handicaps later. Though it is not possible to make a final prognosis for the infant's future, we have to weight the benefits and side effects of our interventions. This may lead to the decision not to continue with intensive-care treatment. We not only have to care for the patients while they are in our unit, it is of equally great importance to support the whole family after the discharge from the hospital.